F1PART IX
CHAPTER IIPARENTAL LEAVE
Entitlement to parental leave108
1
The Department shall make regulations entitling an employee who satisfies specified conditions—
a
as to duration of employment, and
b
as to having, or expecting to have, responsibility for a child,
to be absent from work on parental leave for the purpose of caring for a child.
2
The regulations shall include provision for determining—
a
the extent of an employee's entitlement to parental leave in respect of a child;
b
when parental leave may be taken.
3
Provision under paragraph (2)(a) shall secure that where an employee is entitled to parental leave in respect of a child he is entitled to a period or total period of leave of at least three months; but this paragraph is without prejudice to any provision which may be made by regulations for cases in which—
a
a person ceases to satisfy conditions under paragraph (1);
b
an entitlement to parental leave is transferred.
4
Provision under paragraph (2)(b) may, in particular, refer to—
a
a child's age, or
b
a specified period of time starting from a specified event.
5
Regulations under paragraph (1) may—
a
specify things which are, or are not, to be taken as done for the purpose of caring for a child;
b
require parental leave to be taken as a single period of absence in all cases or in specified cases;
c
require parental leave to be taken as a series of periods of absence in all cases or in specified cases;
d
require all or specified parts of a period of parental leave to be taken at or by specified times;
e
make provision about the postponement by an employer of a period of parental leave which an employee wishes to take;
f
specify a minimum or maximum period of absence which may be taken as part of a period of parental leave;
g
specify a maximum aggregate of periods of parental leave which may be taken during a specified period of time.
F26
In this Article and Article 110(4) and (5), “specified” means specified for the time being in regulations made under this Article.
1999 NI 9